Gained Only Fat : What Went Wrong?

[Totentanz]

Re: defining advanced: I like to use exrx's strength standards charts for the top lifts. Seems a good starting solid standard. Obviously you'll vary on categories in some lifts due to different limb lengths, etc, for example I'm in the elite section for deadlift but only advanced for squat, bench, press and intermediate or novice for snatch and clean. GBG, you can see on that chart that you'd be in the advanced class for deadlift, just barely shy of advanced in bench, though you've got some ground to make up in the squat area. Probably not built as well for squats or need some tweaks to your form or something. Still, quite impressive strength levels for those bodyweights. Clearly, you've been training intelligently for a while.
Clearly the length of time you have been lifting does matter to an extent but we all know of examples of those dudes who have been training like idiots for a decade. Then when they finally start training and eating right, they make their newbie gains even though it's been years since they started lifting. This suggests that it is progress made that matters more in determining how advanced you are, rather than length of time you've been lifting though both are important to some extent.

Anyway, yes, the studies suggest that protein synthesis is raised for a much shorter time period in more advanced lifters. Keep in mind that straight protein synthesis is not the only factor in muscle growth though.

 

[Old and Grey]

Today, everybody is a novice doing the snatch. In the 50's it was one of the Big Three. I don't miss it one bit! Those suckers could kill you.

 

[Jester]

Re: defining advanced: I like to use exrx's strength standards charts for the top lifts. Seems a good starting solid standard. Obviously you'll vary on categories in some lifts due to different limb lengths, etc, for example I'm in the elite section for deadlift but only advanced for squat, bench, press and intermediate or novice for snatch and clean. GBG, you can see on that chart that you'd be in the advanced class for deadlift, just barely shy of advanced in bench, though you've got some ground to make up in the squat area. Probably not built as well for squats or need some tweaks to your form or something. Still, quite impressive strength levels for those bodyweights. Clearly, you've been training intelligently for a while.
Clearly the length of time you have been lifting does matter to an extent but we all know of examples of those dudes who have been training like idiots for a decade. Then when they finally start training and eating right, they make their newbie gains even though it's been years since they started lifting. This suggests that it is progress made that matters more in determining how advanced you are, rather than length of time you've been lifting though both are important to some extent.

Anyway, yes, the studies suggest that protein synthesis is raised for a much shorter time period in more advanced lifters. Keep in mind that straight protein synthesis is not the only factor in muscle growth though.

That is generally the accept standard for use of 'intermediate', 'advanced' and 'elite'.

I also think there's absolutely nothing wrong with being a technical 'intermediate'. 80% of the population is going to be in either the novice or intermediate bracket, 19% in advanced and 1% in elite (if that).

I'm bordering on elite for deadlift, but only halfway for my squat between intermediate and advanced. Bench is between advanced and elite. Press is advanced just and nowhere near elite.

As for power clean and snatch? Not even knocking on the intermediate door.


My issue with applying the terminology to lifters based on time-spent-training is that you guys who accomplish tremendous gains (natural) in 2years, and you see guys who make 5kg gains on all their lifts in this period. People spend weeks into months into years doing the same old thing, changing the same exercises here and there and in the end get maybe 10% of the potential improvement they could make in that time frame.

I think when we start talking about people as being 'advanced' or 'elite', that some measure of results needs to be factored in. I'm 100% open to incorporating food, diet and body/physique into that description - otherwise we'd only ever be impressed by monsters, but at the same time getting shredded at a small size isn't difficult - you just need to be dogged and determined about it (and fight hunger too).